Convention Conundrum
by samandrxel
Summary: A spinoff of the fic I wrote called "Cosplay"; can be read alone - Conundrum: - noun - a confusing and difficult problem or question. - OR - Sam and Gabriel get Dean and Castiel to come with them to this year's convention.
1. Chapter 1

"I can't believe I got talked into this," Dean slung his backpack over his shoulder and closed the trunk. "We could've done something normal like bowling but no! We go to a friggin' nerd convention!"

"Dean, stop lying to yourself. You're a huge nerd, too, admit it!"

"No. No way,"

"Why not?" Sam followed Dean around the Impala and got in the passenger seat.

"Because it's not true! There!"

"Not true?" Sam scoffed. "What about that William Shatner-Captain Kirk doll you spent unnecessary amounts of time with in your room when you were a teenager?"

Dean started the car and swallowed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sam chuckled looking out the window. "Sure you don't. Yet, the doll on your shelf begs to differ."

Dean groaned. "It's not a doll, it's an action figure! It's one of the most realistic of it's kind and only 25 were made!"

"Uh-huh, yeah. You have no idea what I'm talking about," Sam rolled his eyes, buckling his seatbelt. "Hey, by the way, what's taking Cas and Gabriel so long?"

"I dunno, they're probably putting their make-up on or something girly like that," Dean shrugged and slid his hands around the steering wheel of his car. He tuned the radio to his favorite station.

Sam immediately spun the volume knob all the way down, grinning right at Dean.

Dean punched Sam in the shoulder grinning right back at him.

"Whoa! Glad you guys didn't leave without me!" Gabriel shook his golden hair of the fallen snow from outside and slumped down into the leather seats of the Impala. "Cas c'mon!" Gabriel called.

Castiel scurried down the driveway and hopped into the backseat next to Gabe. He gasped just as he got inside, shutting the door quickly. "It is very cold outside."

Gabriel sighed. "No need to state the obvious, Cas."

"But don't you agree that it is very cold outside?"  
"Of course it's like negative fifteen out there!" Gabriel scowled at Castiel and folded his arms.

Castiel shook his head and urged Dean to back out of the driveway.

It was just a year after Sam and Gabriel attended their first convention together. And with all the attention they got for cosplaying as Sherlock and John, it was almost definite that they would go again next year; but this time they brought Dean and Castiel along.

"This coat is even itchier than last year," Sam complained. He poofed up his curly hair and turned his coat collar up.

Dean groaned. "Stop being a whiny bitch."

"You stop being a whiny bitch," Sam shot back, punching him in the arm.

"Ladies please -" Gabriel gave a toothy grin and leaned forward to kiss Sam on the back of the neck. "Blegh! You taste like hairspray."

"Yeah, because you literally sprayed like two cans on me!" Sam snapped. "And why are you tasting me? What are you? Hannibal?"

"Aw, shut up Sam," Gabriel wrinkled his nose. He noticed Castiel, staring out the window his hands folded neatly in his lap. "Cas why're ya so quiet? I'd think that you would be the most excited person to be going - besides me of course - because of those huge-ass posters you have when you were younger of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint - oh! And Tom Felton. Jesus, you always seemed to be staring at that one -"

"Gabriel," Castiel warned. He turned his head to face Gabriel, an icy look on his face.

"Just playin' bro," He nudged his arm playfully.

"I do not wish for you to play with me anymore," Castiel stated coldly.

"Quit bothering Cas, Gabe," Dean looked at Gabriel through the rearview mirror, "do I have to come back there?"  
"No Father," Gabriel mocked, sticking his tongue out.

"Dick," Dean muttered, pulling the Impala into the convention center parking lot. He eyed the price per hour to park and gasped. "$20 an hour?!"

"Shut up, Dean. Just pay it," Sam leaned his face against the cool glass window and watched several people in costume walking up to the convention center.

"Fine fine," Dean took out his wallet and murmured things like "this is ridiculous" and "so not worth it".

"Cassie look!" Gabriel pulled on Castiel's arm and kept yelling his name.

Castiel turned his head and looked to where Gabriel had been directing him to. "I do not see anything special." He squinted and tilted his head.

"No you idiot, over there," Gabriel placed his hands forcefully on Castiel's face and turned his head a couple degrees to the right. Castiel finally saw it.

"Is that John Darnelle?" Castiel leaned over Gabriel to get a better view. "He-he's the creator of Burger Town!"  
"What in the fucking hell is Burger Town?" Dean asked, finally finding a spot to park. He turned off the Impala and immediately spun around to give a questioning look at Castiel.

"My favorite restaurant," Castiel looked down and blushed. "They also have an excellent Internet cartoon that is on every Friday."

"Well how come I've never heard of it?" Dean opened the door of the Impala and stepped out.

Castiel joined Dean. "They just opened last summer."

Gabriel pushed himself between Dean and Castiel. "See Cas? I told you that you would find something here to your liking!" He slapped Castiel hard on the back. "This is wonderful! Now everyone's happy!"

"Yeah, sure, everyone," Dean fell behind so Sam could catch up with the rest of the group.

"Dean," Sam raised an eyebrow as a warning and strode past Dean. Dean sighed keeping a careful eye on Sam as he took Gabriel's hand in his.

"At least wait up!" Dean called. He ran ahead to his boyfriend, friend and brother.

Castiel was standing right outside the center (Sam and Gabriel had probably already gone inside). He motioned for him to come closer. "Dean, tell me the truth; are you happy to be attending this?"

"Hmm... are you?"

"Yes, but it seems quite overwhelming,"

"Okay. I'll agree with you on that," Dean shrugged then nodded. "But I'm really not all that happy about going. I'm just okay, I guess."

"That's fine. I just wanted to know," Castiel shrugged. He gently pressed his lips to Dean's cheek and intertwined his fingers with his. "I believe Sam and Gabriel are waiting for us at the 'Check-In'."

Dean smiled. "What are we waiting for?"


	2. Chapter 2

Dean walked quietly across the soft blue carpet of the convention center and finally found a seat. He gripped Castiel's hand tightly - so tightly, that he felt his or Castiel's hand sweating. Sam and Gabriel were just a couple feet away, putting on a show for some of the convention goers. They were drawing a crowd and Dean didn't want to be in their way.

So here he was, sitting on a bench under a sign that read "Free Buttons" with his boyfriend, who watched the cosplayers (otherwise known as Sam and Gabriel) curiously as they made out and did gross stuff like make obscene gestures that Dean didn't even want to understand.

After a few minutes of Dean rolling his eyes, and the crowd rising to a lion's roar, Sam and Gabriel finally came back, a widespread grin across their faces.

"That was even better than last year," Sam panted, out of breath (probably from making out for like three years).

"Oh yeah. This is one of the cases where the sequel is just as good as the first one," Gabriel agreed. He plopped down right next to Castiel and slumped down against the bench, clearly tired.

"How the hell are you tired? All you did was kiss 'n stuff," Dean grumbled, not looking either of them in the eye.

"Dude, you totally missed the part where a Moriarty cosplayer started chasing after me and tried to kiss me!" Sam shrieked, his hands on his hips. He started pacing around in circles. "And Gabriel was chasing after Moriarty. It was a wild friggin' goose chase!"

"Oh. I kind of stopped paying attention after you guys started making out against that wall," he nodded his head to the left. "The crowd was so noisy. God, I couldn't hear myself think," Dean rubbed his temples.

Castiel spoke up. "Gabriel, I did not know you could, ah, act," he paused. "In a sense."

"Well, I'm full of surprises, little bro," Gabriel reached his hand over Dean's head and ruffled up Castiel's hair. Suddenly he got up. "Right then," he clapped his hands, earning a jolt from Sam. "What's next on the agenda?"

"I dunno," Sam shrugged, still pacing, "how about we split up? Dean and Cas go that way, and Gabriel 'n I'll go that way."

"'s fine with me," Dean scratched the back of his neck, "how about you, Cas?"

"Whatever Dean will do, I'll do,"

"Great! C'mon Sam!" Gabriel tugged Sam's arm all the way to the Sherlock panel.

"Dean, do you have a preference where we should go first?"

"Huh? Oh, no. Let's just keep walking and observe,"

"That's fine…" Castiel trailed off looking behind him.

"Wait, did you want to go somewhere specific?" Dean asked, stopping right outside a My Little Pony t-shirt stand.

"No, no," Castiel shook his head.

"Really?" Dean smiled as he pulled away from Castiel. "I think you do."

"No, I do not," Castiel insisted.

Dean laughed. "Okay, fine, we'll just not go to the Burger Town panel."  
"Th-there's a Burger Town panel?"

"Oh please, don't act like you didn't know,"

Castiel looked to the side and bit his lip. "I'm sorry Dean, I did not want to -"

"Cas," Dean interrupted. Castiel closed his mouth and folded his arms. "Cas," Dean repeated. "I have a confession to make."

Castiel's lips formed a line. It couldn't be another guy, right? Dean had told Cas several times that he loved him. "Yes?"

"I know what Burger Town is," Dean had this guilty look on his face as if he just admitted he murdered someone. "I mean, that time I went to the bar last week, y'know? John Darnelle happened to be there. I've actually met him several times." He ran a hand across his hair. "He's nice, yeah. We actually went to a concert once… A Fall Out Boy concert…" he laughed, " it was kind of awkward." Dean looked up at Castiel's stone cold blue eyes. "Nothing happened after that, I swear, Cas."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I sort of freaked out for a split second when Gabriel pointed him out. And when you said you were a fan of the cartoon and restaurant - I freaked out again and said something stupid. I'm sorry, Cas,"  
Castiel laughed - he actually fucking laughed. "Son of a bitch," he looked down. Dean didn't know if he was angry or what. "After all this time, we liked the same thing and we didn't even know it. I feel very weird about this, Dean. I sort of wish I had met John Darnelle."

"Jealousy? That's a first," Dean shuffled closer, "so, uh, are we good or…"

"Oh yeah we're good," Castiel replied, "thank you for admitting that to me."

"'Welcome. We still gonna go the panel?"

"Sure,"

"Okay,"

"FUCK IS THAT BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH?" Gabriel practically yanked Sam's arm out of his socket dragging him around. It was after the panel and neither Gabriel or Sam had the courage to ask any of the actors questions.

"YOU SAID THAT LIKE FIFTY TIMES AND EVERYTIME IT'S A MOTHERFUCKING COSPLAYER," Sam yelled right back at him.

"Well this one might really be him!" Gabriel lowered his voice slightly and ran all the way around a t-shirt stand to get a better look at the guy that may or may not be Benedict Cumberbatch.

"Motherf -" Sam followed after him, trying to keep his hair from falling flat.

"Sam! It's him!" Gabriel basically swooned.

"No fucking way," Sam stomped forward to get a better look. "Holy shit it is! What are you waiting for? The actors are here for attention so go take the opportunity!"

"No what if -"

"IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT, I'LL DO IT MYSELF," Sam hissed, grabbing ahold of Gabriel's sweater.

"W-we'll go together," Gabriel lurched forward with Sam. Fans surrounded Benedict yelling his name and shoving papers in his face.

Sam and Gabriel pushed their way to the front. "Benny!" Gabriel pulled a magazine that he got from one of the stands out of his backpack. He stretched his hand out and Benedict smiled right at him; Gabriel's eyes glittered as he signed the magazine. "Thank you! I love you."

"No problem!" Benedict grinned again, making his way to the other fans.

"SAMMY DID YOU FUCKING SEE THAT," Gabriel yelled, seconds later.

"Holy hell yes I did. I can't believe that just happened!" Sam hugged Gabriel, who seemed to be shaking from a shock of some sort.

"I can't wait to go next year!"

Sam groaned. "Oh hell no."


End file.
